Monthly Archives: March 2012

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Makeup Test – Lips and Cheeks

Dunce Cap Moment:  A long, long time ago, my friend K. (names have been abbreviated to protect the innocent) wanted to put on some makeup. Unfortunately, we were just kids and didn’t have any. What we did have was her sister’s bottle of cherry red fingernail polish. It didn’t take us long to decide that since lipstick is red (always!) and the fingernail polish was red, they were obviously interchangeable. So K. sat down at a mirror (I might be a dunce, but I let her be the guinea pig on this one!) and lathered the lacquer across her lips. Taking our premise one step further, she also drew shiny red circles on her cheeks for blush. She turned to me with a smile as if to say, “See? It worked perfectly, so now it’s your turn!” and then started screaming. I’m not sure about the science, and I can’t rightly say what pain K. experienced (I never repeated this experiment myself), but it is sufficient to say that nail polish should never ever go on your face. (Apparently finger nail polish remover is only slightly less painful…)

Lesson Learned:  Finger nail polish on nails. Not lips, not cheeks. I know it’s tempting, but don’t do it.

I saw an ad for Maybelline’s Baby Lips at the movie theater (a time when I’m especially susceptible to advertising, because I’m just happy to be there) and I went out and bought some right away.

The Good:

  • The delicious fruity flavors (I bought Peach Kiss originally and have since added Grape Vine and Cherry Me to my collection, but there is also Quenched, Peppermint and Pink Punch available.)
  • The subtle hint of color (These aren’t full on lipsticks, but they do have a bit of tint for a more casual look.)
  • SPF 20
  • The moisturizing (My lips felt instantly softer and these are really great if your lips are sore or irritated.)
  • The long lasting stay (Most lip balms and chapsticks seem to disappear from my lips after only a few minutes. This was still on after several hours. I don’t know if it was the full 8 hours that Maybelline claims, but it was a goodly while.)

The Bad:

  • Give us more colors and flavors!

I really don’t have anything negative to say about the actual product, but there are some downsides.

The Ugly:

  • Retails for $3-4 for .15 oz (Walmart seems to be a few cents cheaper than other stores, but this still strikes me as a lot for a tube of lip balm.)
  • Are hard to find at stores (This probably isn’t Maybelline’s fault, but it seems like these are always hidden at the bottom of the Maybelline section in every store I’ve been to.)
  • Maybelline tests on animals (Grrr!)

The Grade:  A-

Lower the price a tad and phase out that animal testing, then you’re golden!

I was in Sephora with my sister (the first time I’d ever been there!) and I saw these cute little containers with the awesome brand name. I tried on Tarte’s Natural Cheek Stain in Blissful and loved it…until I saw the price tag and put it down like it was hot. Later, I found some on ebay for a much more reasonable price in the color Natural Beauty.

The Good:

  • The vibrant color (The more product you use, the more color and vice-versa.)
  • The versatility (You can use it as blush! lip tint! eye shadow!)
  • The size (I don’t think I will ever finish my container off.)
  • The smooth application (You can rub it straight on or apply with your fingers or sponge.)
  • No animal testing (Hooray!)

The Bad:

  • Doesn’t age well (I hadn’t used mine in a while, so I pulled it out and found the consistency had become a little lumpy. It smoothed out with some rubbing, but it still seemed a bit chalky.)

The Ugly:

  • $30 for a 1 oz. container!!! (I found mine for $5 on ebay, but haven’t been able to find a similar price since. If you are desperate to have some, try a mini size.)

The Grade: C+

Totally worthwhile if you can get it for a reasonable price. If not…forget it.

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Face Wash Final

Dunce Cap Moment:  I was a lucky teenager. I never had much of an acne problem, just a few flare ups every once in a while. I very rarely washed my face and usually slept with my makeup on.  By my junior year of high school, I realized that all of my friends washed their faces and that I probably should, too.  Without any money to buy some fancy face wash, I decided to use a product that I knew was a cleanser (of wounds) – hydrogen peroxide! This seemed to work pretty well at first, although I’ve recently learned that it can cause massive drying. Sadly, by my senior year, my eyebrows and the hair around my face was bleached blonde and I had to darken my brows with eyeliner every day. By graduation, I bit the bullet and bought some real face wash.

Lesson Learned:  Hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning cuts, but if you use it to wash your face, you might just clean your eyebrows right off!

Now that I’m in my twenties, my acne is worse than ever. Hormones! I’m always on the lookout for a better face wash and several months ago I picked up some Biore Steam Activated Cleanser for about $7 at a grocery store. There was a sticker on the bottle declaring that it was one of Marie Claire’s best beauty products of 2010 (and I’m a sucker for positive endorsements, even slightly outdated ones), so I thought I’d give it a try.

The Good:

  • A tingly, icy mint feeling on my skin
  • My face feels very clean and smooth after use
  • No greasy residue
  • Leaves my skin looking radiant

The Bad:

  • A new design by Biore means that the easy to use pump has been replaced with the regular squeeze tube (Blech! How many hands to they think I have? and in the slippery shower, too!)
  • Doesn’t do much for hormonal acne or deep down pore clogs
  • May cause over-drying and/or irritation for those with especially sensitive skin

The Ugly:

  • Retails for around $7.50 for 5 FL oz. (You can get it for less if you’re a smart shopper, though. I managed to get my second bottle for $4.50)
  • Although Biore does not test on animals, it’s parent company, Kao Brands, owns other enterprises that do (Grrr!)

The Grade:  B+

I’ve used this stuff consistently for almost a year now, and I think for an everyday cleaner it’s pretty worthwhile.

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I AM a Beauty Dunce. Are You?

My mother (a wonderful parent in many respects) never taught me about makeup. Granted, she had a natural beauty that was the envy of many. Just a swipe of a neutral colored eyeshadow on each eyelid (COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in Golden Sunset), a dab of mascara (I can’t remember what mascara she used, but I think it was Maybelline) and she was good to go. Unfortunately, my daily regimen is a little more complicated than that, especially if I want to look even mildly presentable. So, although I don’t know much about beauty products or what in the world one does with most of them, I am setting out to find the best (and hopefully cheapest!) products and methods and sharing them with you.